Sometimes during my sessions, there are some precious moments that I will never forget! One of those moments happened during this most recent session! It all started with the youngest child of the five kids! Her delicate, 3-year-old hands wrapped around mine as we walked. Her long, brunette pigtails bounced as her little legs moved twice as fast as mine in order to keep up with me, her parents, and her four older brothers. The stroller was long forgotten as we explored the beautiful Provo River Trail, watching the water rush down to the lake. We approached our next stop and I got down on my knees to look this darling girl right in the eyes.
"Ok, my friend! I need your help! It is time for me to take pictures of Mom and Dad by themselves. Do you think you can stand next to me and help make them smile? I can always use a good helper!" (Note....one of my FAVORITE tricks for keeping a young child's attention during a photoshoot!) She squealed with delight at the thought and got into position next to my leg. Once I had taken a few shots of her mom and dad, I felt a gentle tug on my shirt. I looked down and heard, "I want to take a picture!"
I was totally smitten by her and just could not say no! So, I squatted down again, showed her the button to press, and let her go to town while I held the camera in my hands. I turned the screen towards her and showed her the photo she had just taken. Was it perfect? No. Was it in focus? No. Was she beyond thrilled she couldn't even hold still? You bet. She ran to her mom and yelled, "I did it, Mom!" I walked up to her and gave her a high five. "You, my dear, need to get a camera for yourself so you can be a photographer someday! You did so good!" She looked up at me and said, "Can I have yours?" I laughed gently and got down at her level again. "If I give you my camera, I won't be able to keep taking pictures of families like yours! But I bet if you start saving your money, you can have your own pretty soon!" She smiled and ran off to play with her brothers. My heart couldn't even handle the thought of her growing up to take pictures like me someday!
This darling family had me wrapped around their fingers during the entire session! It was such a joy to join them on one of their favorite activities: a nature walk. As a "fly on the wall", I noticed how the older brothers helped the younger ones find the perfect skipping rock. I watched how Dad pushed the kids on the rope swing and the laughs echoed through the trees! I observed kids learning and exploring nature, just as childhood should be. But most of all, I felt the love that they all had for each other and how happy they were to be together.
Staci and Mike, I cannot thank you enough for the honor of capturing the joy of your family! Your kids are beyond delightful and it was so fun to catch up on life!
